Description

Carbonic anhydrases (CA: EC:4.2.1.1) are zinc metalloenzymes which catalyse the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate [PMID: 18336305, PMID: 10978542]. The alpha-CAs are found predominantly in animals but also in bacteria and green algae. There are at least 15 isoforms found in mammals, which can be subdivided into cytosolic CAs (CA-I, CA-II, CA-III, CA-VII and CA XIII), mitochondrial CAs (CA-VA and CA-VB), secreted CAs (CA-VI), membrane-associated (CA-IV, CA-IX, CA-XII and CA-XIV) and those without CA activity, the CA-related proteins (CA-RP VIII, X and XI).